"He's been around as an imam in Australia for some 50 odd years,
he has got an Order of Australia, he is very widely respected and
highly regarded in Victoria.

"He wants to ensure that Muslims and non-Muslim Australians are
pulling in the same direction and that there's a convivial
relationship between the two.

"I think what you will find is someone who is slightly less
high-profile in the role than previously."

Sheikh al-Hilali sparked controversy last year when he likened
immodestly dressed women to uncovered meat, during a Ramadan sermon
in Sydney.

Sheikh al-Hilali has also praised jihadists for fighting against
coalition forces, has been accused of mishandling charity money
raised after last year's Israel-Hezbollah war and declared that
Australian Muslims had greater citizenship rights than those with a
convict heritage.

Mr Aly attributed some of the controversy to the title of mufti
which, he says, is unrepresentative of Muslim Australians.

"The real damage that had been done in the past wasn't merely
because al-Hilali had given some sermons but that he had given some
sermons with the title of Mufti of Australia."

Mr Aly said people often assume the role of mufti is equivalent
to an arch bishop.

"Assume falsely, so at least now there is a better hope of
putting any such controversy in context."